Curtain for vehicles and the like



1,527,044 B. F. HAYDEN CURTAIN FOR vEmcLEs AND THE LIKE Filed March 14, 1923 Inventor; fiajm/zm Ffiayae/Z,

Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES BENJAMIN F. HAYDEN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

CURTAIN FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 625,028.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that BENJAMIN F. HAYDEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, has invented new and useful Improvements in Curtains for Vehicles and the like, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle curtain and spreader for the same together with means for mounting the curtain and spreader, so that the curtain may be held effectively in enclosing relation with the body of the vehicle and is swung at will outwardly to permit egress from the vehicle, the outward or open position being maintained without attention until it is desired to swing the curtain to closed position. A further object is to provide a construction of this kind which is simple, inexpensive to manufacture, and of a character adapted to remain in operating condition irrespective of the service to which it is subjected.

lVith these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle top showing the application of the invention thereto.

Figure 2 is a. side elevational view of the curtain and stretcher for the same.

Figure 3 is a detail elevational view illustrating one of the supporting brackets and the side arms of adjacent curtains connected therewith.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the structure of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the curtain in. extended or raised position.

Figure 6 is a detail elevational view showing a modification of the bracket adapting the same for attachment to a vertical support.

The invention contemplates the use of a curtain 1 such as that illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings and provided with a trans parent panel 2, the curtain being carried on a U-shaped frame or stretcher 3 the legs of which terminate in rectangular eyes 4 disposed at the upper corners of the curtain and occupying spaces from which corner sections or portions of the goods constituting the curtain are removed so that the eyes may lie within the area of the curtain.

The number of curtains necessary to close the open side space of the vehicle of course depends on the size or width of the curtain and the length of the car. In the present illustration, however, two curtains are employed on each side and are supported on appropriate brackets secured to the side rail 5 of the car top 6 and to a vertical post 7 (if one is employed) .and the wind shield frame 8. The intermediate bracket, which is secured to the side rail, is TEOllDGClPlQferably from a single piece of sheet metal from which a clamping ring 9 is struck for embracing relation with the side rail 5, to have its free extremities engaged by a clamping bolt 10, this clamping ring carrying a curtain supporting element on each side and consisting of hanger hooks 11 formed by bending the material back on it self as clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, each hanger hook is attended with a resilient arm 12 constituting a portion of the hanger supporting element and formed in the same way as the hook, the extremity of the arm, however, being extended into overlapping relation with the free end of the hook and deflected downwardly as indicated at 13 to provide a throat 14 between itand the hook and terminating in a bearing foot 15. The eye 4 of the stretcher 3 engages the hook to suspend the weight of the stretcher and curtain at one side and the foot 15 bears on the lower portion of the eye, thus holding the curtain in against the side of the car. It may be swung outwardly, however, as indicated in Figure 5 by applying an outward pressure to the stretcher frame, when the bearing foot yields and the lower portion of the eye rides over the inclined portion 13 of the arm 12, until the lower portion of the eye assumes a position on the arm above the throat 14, when the curtain is held in a position projecting laterally from the machine and substantially in the plane of the top which permits ready egress and ingress. One of the curtain supporting elements on the intermediate hanger supports the forward edge of the rear curtain and the rear end of the forward curtain. The rear end of the rear curtain may be supported from the side bar of the top by a hanger similar to the intermediate hanger but in the illustrated emthe forward curtain is carried by a supp or-tingielement having; a iclampingvcelement 1O disposedaat the proper angie forengager mentwith tlr1e=-'side-:'bar of 'the' WindH shield frame'to dispose :the curtain:supportingaele ment in the propervposition to reoeive' the,

forward end of the forward. curtain andv permit its: being; swung s. outwardly" or in ward-1y as inwthe case ofuthe rear curtain:vv

Having, described the; invention", what is claimed ias new; and ruseii'ulilis z 1.. A device for the purpose' :lIId-lGELtGCLCOlII- prising swingingt'jeleanent' provided With' any; eye; andaa hanger therefor, the hanger r having a:isupportingghook engagingaithe eye At the forward end,

and an arm disposed in opposing relation to the hookand having a deflected portion defining za 'throati at the extremity of the hook and a bearing foot engaging said eye, the arm being yieldable to permit swinging movement of said eleinentand retaining the latter ineither of two positions having an approximate angular distance of 90.

2; A device for; the purpose indicated comprising a swinging element provided with a rectangular "eye; ahanger rhai ingia supporting hook engaging. the upper side of the eye :and a spring arni disposed 1n opposing relation :to the hook i and having 'a bear ingzz' foot engaging the lower side of' said eyegforrdeflction by the latter the arm beingilyieldable to permit swinging movement of said element and to retain the latteriin eitheiv'ofitwo positions having an approximate.- angular istanee of ninety degrees.

In testimony whereof he afiixes'his signw ture.

BENJAMIN F. HAYDEN 

